PURPOSE: To recover nickel in order to effectively utilize resources by eluting the nickel from ironworks dust contg. nickel compds. by using sulfur oxidizing bacteria which forms sulfuric acid by oxidizing an inorg. sulfur compd.

CONSTITUTION: Thiobacillus.thiooxidance bacillus species, etc., are used as the sulfur oxidizing bacteria. This nickel recovery consists of a sulfuric acid forming stage, nickel-component eluting stage, and eluted nickel-component recovering stage. The above-mentioned sulfur oxidizing bacteria are cultured to a medium soln. (aq. soln. contg. ammonium sulfate, sulfur powder, etc.) to form sulfuric acid in the sulfuric acid forming stage. Since the growth of said bacteria is poor, various bacteria propagation methods are executed. The ironworks dust is added to the above-mentioned culture soln. after the growth of the sulfuric acid in the nickel-component eluting stage. The nickel is recovered by adsorptive sepn., etc., using an ion exchange resin, etc., in the eluted nickel-component recovering stage. The nickel recovery extremely useful for effective utilization of resources is executed by the above-mentioned method.